We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Fondation Soli for renewing its generous support – first established in 2021 – to the Geneva Graduate Institute’s efforts to advance education and research in Peru and the Andean region.

Each year, Fondation Soli makes it possible for talented students from Peru and the Andean region to pursue their studies at the Institute by funding full scholarships. These scholarships are awarded based on financial need and academic excellence, opening doors to transformative opportunities for the recipients.

In addition to supporting students, Fondation Soli also funds research scholarships that enable both Master’s and PhD students to conduct fieldwork in Peru and the Andean region as part of their PhD thesis or Master’s dissertation. This support is vital in fostering meaningful, locally grounded research.

We are also grateful that the partnership includes the opportunity to invite a visiting professor, further enriching our academic community and strengthening ties with the region.

This continued commitment and trust from Fondation Soli makes a lasting difference.

Fondation SOLI

Fondation Soli is a Swiss non-profit foundation committed to improving the quality of life in vulnerable communities across Latin America, mainly Peru and the Andean Region.

• Their role focuses on three main areas:
   

1. They support access to education from elementary to higher levels, with a particular emphasis on science and technology, communication, life skills and the arts. To achieve this, they rely on strong partnerships with organisations recognised for their reliability and effectiveness. 
   
   Since 2020, Fondation Soli has partnered with two internationally renowned graduate schools in International Relations and Public Policy: the Geneva Graduate Institute and SIPA at Columbia University. Through a need-based process, they award partial or full scholarships to outstanding students admitted to these programmes.
    
2. They invest in initiatives that enhance living conditions. Their priorities include container-based sanitation, in areas not connected to running water, as well as research, treatment and services related to anemia, mental health, cancer (oncology), and dental care.
    
3. They promote cultural inclusion by supporting artistic and musical talent development, as well as local cultural initiatives.

Fondation Soli ensures that each programme delivers positive and measurable impact. They apply a rigorous due diligence to select partner organisations that demonstrate strong governance, transparency and sustainable practices.

Founded in 2018, by Catherine Mulder, an entrepreneur and alumna of the Institute, with deep professional roots in Latin America, Fondation Soli combines strategic philanthropy with a commitment to long-term social inclusion.

Catherine Mulder, MINT 1977

Catherine “Kitty” Mulder MINT ’77 was born in Lima, Peru. Her parents, a Swiss father and a Greek mother, arrived in Peru in 1947. Catherine went to a British-Peruvian school in Lima and a prep-school in Lausanne, Switzerland. In 1973, Catherine was admitted to the University of Geneva and graduated from the Geneva Graduate Institute with a degree in international relations in 1977. Upon her return to Lima, Catherine joined a British-Peruvian publishing company as a photojournalist, covering Peruvian tourism and later mining and economics before moving to New York City to attend SIPA/Columbia University, in 1980. After graduating from SIPA, she worked in banking and then in the family business, which she and her brothers managed.